Xiangjiang Gate International Design Competition

You haven’t visited Hengyang, China? With a population of just over 1 million, it is not even in the top 50 cities by population in China and many in the west are not familiar with it. Located in the Hunan province it straddles the Xiang River and is home to the confluence of the Xiang, Zheng, and Lishui rivers.

Another thing you are perhaps unaware of is that the Xiangjiang Gate International Design Competition is going on right now. This competition, planning to bring a monument to celebrate the confluence of these rivers, offers a reason for you to find your way to Hengyang. Undoubtedly, city and provincial officials believe the monument will bring a rise to tourism similar to the design competition that took place in St. Louis in 1947. That’s right, Eero Saarinen and the Gateway Arch arrived in St. Louis because of a similar design competition. That grand tourist attraction has seen well over 100 million visitors since it opened in 1965 and was just redone and reopened in 2018. Similar in interest, Hengyang undoubtedly expects tourists from near and far to come visit the new symbol of their city.

Due to his experience in tourism and leadership role the redevelopment of the Gateway Arch, NMBL Fonder and CEO, Eric Moraczewski has been asked to come be a part of the competition as a judge. We couldn’t be more thrilled to share our experience and interest in this new project. Eric will leave tomorrow for the competition, so stay tuned for more information on the competition winner, timelines, and when you can visit this new icon.

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